Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices 79541 

Issued in Washington, DC on December 18, 

2008. 

Michael McElligott, 

Manager, Space Systems Development 

Division. 

[FR Doc. E8–30845 Filed 12–24–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Notice of Availability; Washington, DC 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this 

notice to advise the public of the 

availability of the Final Section 4(f) 

Evaluation for the proposed roadway 

improvements proposed in conjunction 

with the consolidation of the 

Department of Homeland Security 

Headquarters at St. Elizabeths in 

Southeast Washington, DC in 

accordance with 49 U.S.C. 303. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack 

Van Dop, Senior Technical Specialist, 

Federal Highway Administration, 21400 

Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20166, 

Telephone 703–404–6282 or 

jack.j.vandop@fhwa.dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access to this Notice 

An electronic copy of this document 

(notice) may be downloaded by using a 

computer, modem and suitable 

communications software from 

Government Printing Office’s Electronic 

Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512– 

1661. Internet users may reach the 

Office of the Federal Register’s home 

page at: http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and 

the Government Printing Office’s Web 

site at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara. 

Background 

The FHWA has cooperated with the 

General Services Administration (GSA) 

in the preparation of a Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the consolidation of the Department 

of Homeland Security Headquarters at 

St. Elizabeths, Southeast Washington, 

DC. The EIS was prepared by the 

General Services Administration, 

National Capital Region. The Draft EIS 

contained a Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation 

and was released in late 2007. This 

Final Section 4(f) Evaluation presents an 

assessment of the permanent and 

temporary impacts to the National Park 

Service (NPS) land known as Shepherd 

Parkway and the GSA property of the St. 

Elizabeths West Campus, resulting from 

improvements to the Malcolm X 

Avenue/I–295 interchange and 

construction of a related access road 

between Firth Sterling Avenue and 

Malcolm X Avenue. Transportation 

improvements are needed to support the 

redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths 

West Campus and construction and 

operation of the DHS Headquarters. The 

Final Section 4(f) Evaluation also 

provides a description of the Section 

4(f) resources that would be affected, 

consideration of total Section 4(f) 

resources avoidance alternatives, and 

identification of potential measures to 

minimize harm to the 4(f) resources. 

Availability 

The Section 4(f) Evaluation is 

available for review until January 23, 

2009. A copy of the Section 4(f) 

Evaluation for which this notice is being 

made, is posted at http:// 

www.efl.fhwa.gov/projectsenvironment.aspx and http:// 

www.stelizabethswestcampus.com. Hard 

copies of this evaluation can be viewed 

at the following locations: 

Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 

1800 Good Hope Road, SE., at 18th 

Street, SE., Washington, DC 20020. 

Francis A. Gregory, 3660 Alabama 

Avenue, SE., at 37th Street, SE., 

Washington, DC 20020. 

Parkland-Turner Community Library, 

1700 Alabama Avenue, SE., at Stanton 

Road, SE.,Washington, DC 20020. 

ANC 8C, 3125 MLK Jr., Avenue, SE., 

Washington, DC 20020. 

Washington Highlands, Neighborhood 

Library, 115 Atlantic Street, SW., at 

South Capitol Street, SW., Washington, 

DC 20032. 

UPO Ralph Waldo ‘Petey Greene’, 

Community Service Center, 2907 Martin 

Luther King, Jr., Ave., SE., Washington, 

DC 20032. 

National Capitol Planning 

Commission, 401 9th Street, NW., North 

Lobby, Suite 500, Washington, DC 

20004. 

Federal Highway Administration, 

21400 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 

20166. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

proposed action.) 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48. 

Dated: December 19, 2008. 

Karen A. Schmidt, 

Director, Program Administration. 

[FR Doc. E8–30773 Filed 12–24–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the California High Speed Train Project 

from San Francisco to San Jose, CA 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement 

SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the 

public that FRA and the California High 

Speed Rail Authority (Authority) will 

jointly prepare a project Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) and project 

Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for 

the San Francisco to San Jose section of 

the Authority’s proposed California 

High-Speed Train (HST) System in 

compliance with relevant state and 

federal laws, in particular the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 

the California Environmental Quality 

Act (CEQA). 

In 2001, the Authority and FRA 

started a tiered environmental review 

process for the HST system and in 2005, 

completed the first tier California High 

Speed Train Program EIR/EIS and 

approved the statewide HST system for 

intercity travel in California between the 

major metropolitan centers of 

Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay 

Area in the north, through the Central 

Valley, to Los Angeles and San Diego in 

the south. The approved HST system 

would be about 800-miles long, with 

electric propulsion and steel-wheel-onsteel-rail trains capable of maximum 

operating speeds of 220 miles per hour 

(mph) on a mostly dedicated system of 

fully grade-separated, access-controlled 

steel tracks and with state-of-the-art 

safety, signaling, communication, and 

automated train control systems. In 

2008, the Authority and FRA completed 

a second program EIR/EIS to evaluate 

alignments and station locations within 

the broad corridor between and 

including the Altamont Pass and the 

Pacheco Pass to connect the Bay Area 

and Central Valley portions of the HST 

system. The Authority and FRA selected 

the Pacheco Pass—San Francisco and 

San Jose termini network alternative, as 

well as preferred corridor alignments 

and station location options. The 

selected alignment uses the Caltrain rail 

right-of-way, between San Francisco 

and San Jose along the San Francisco 

Peninsula, and the Pacheco Pass via 

Henry Miller Road, between San Jose 

and the Central Valley. 

The preparation of the San Francisco 

to San Jose HST Project EIR/EIS will 


dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
79542 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices 

involve development of preliminary 

engineering designs and assessment of 

environmental effects associated with 

the construction, operation, and 

maintenance of the HST system, 

including track, ancillary facilities and 

stations, along the Caltrain corridor 

from San Francisco to San Jose. 

DATES: Written comments on the scope 

of the San Francisco to San Jose HST 

Project EIR/EIS should be provided to 

the Authority by March 6, 2009. Public 

scoping meetings are scheduled from 

January 22, 2009 to January 29, 2009, as 

noted below in San Mateo, San 

Francisco, and Santa Clara Counties. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

scope should be sent to Mr. Dan Leavitt, 

Deputy Directory, ATTN: San Francisco 

to San Jose, California High-Speed Rail 

Authority, 925 L Street, Suite 1425, 

Sacramento, CA 95814, or via e-mail 

with subject line ‘‘San Francisco to San 

Jose HST’’ to: comments@hsr.ca.gov. 

Comments may also be provided orally 

or in writing at the scoping meetings 

scheduled at the following locations: 

• Sam Trans Auditorium, 1250 San 

Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, California, 

January 22, 2009 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

• San Francisco State University, 835 

Market Street, 6th Floor (Rooms 673– 

674), San Francisco, California, January 

27, 2009 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

• Santa Clara Convention Center, 

5001 Great American Parkway, Great 

American Meeting Rooms 1 & 2, Santa 

Clara, California, January 29, 2009 from 

3 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

David Valenstein, Environmental 

Program Manager, Office of Railroad 

Development, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE. (Mail Stop 20), 

Washington, DC 20590; Telephone: 

(202) 493–6368, or Mr. Dan Leavitt, 

Telephone: (916) 324–1541 at the above 

noted address. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Authority was established in 1996 and 

is authorized and directed by statute to 

undertake the planning and 

development of a proposed statewide 

HST network that is fully coordinated 

with other public transportation 

services. The Authority adopted a Final 

Business Plan in June 2000, which 

reviewed the economic feasibility of a 

800-mile-long HST capable of speeds in 

excess of 200 miles per hour on a 

dedicated, fully grade-separated state-ofthe-art track. The Authority released an 

updated Business Plan in November 

2008. 

The FRA has responsibility for 

oversight of the safety of railroad 

operations, including the safety of any 

proposed high-speed ground 

transportation system. For the proposed 

HST, it is anticipated that FRA would 

need to take certain regulatory actions 

prior to operation. 

In 2005, the Authority and FRA 

completed a Final Program EIR/EIS for 

the Proposed California High Speed 

Train System (Statewide Program EIR/ 

EIS), as the first phase of a tiered 

environmental review process. The 

Authority certified the Final Program 

EIR under CEQA and approved the 

proposed HST System, and FRA issued 

a Record of Decision under NEPA on the 

Final Program EIS. This statewide 

program EIR/EIS established the 

purpose and need for the HST system, 

analyzed an HST system, and compared 

it with a No Project/No Action 

Alternative and a Modal Alternative. In 

approving the statewide program EIR/ 

EIS, the Authority and FRA selected the 

HST Alternative, selected certain 

corridors/general alignments and 

general station locations for further 

study, incorporated mitigation strategies 

and design practices, and specified 

further measures to guide the 

development of the HST system at the 

site-specific project level of 

environmental review to avoid and 

minimize potential adverse 

environmental impacts. In the 

subsequent Bay Area to Central Valley 

HST Final Program EIR/EIS, the 

Authority and FRA selected the Caltrain 

right-of-way between San Francisco and 

San Jose as the preferred alternative to 

connect with the San Jose to Central 

Valley section. 

The San Francisco to San Jose HST 

Project EIR/EIS will tier from the Final 

Statewide Program EIR/EIS and the 

Final Bay Area to Central Valley HST 

Program EIR/EIS in accordance with 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) regulations, (40 CFR 1508.28) and 

State CEQA Guidelines (14 C.C.R. 

§ 15168[b]). Tiering will ensure that the 

San Francisco to San Jose HST Project 

EIR/EIS builds upon all previous work 

prepared for and incorporated in the 

Statewide Program EIR/EIS and the Bay 

Area to Central Valley HST Program 

EIR/EIS. 

This Project EIR/EIS will describe 

site-specific environmental impacts, 

will identify specific mitigation 

measures to address those impacts and 

will incorporate design practices to 

avoid and minimize potential adverse 

environmental impacts. The FRA and 

the Authority will assess the site 

characteristics, size, nature, and timing 

of proposed site-specific projects to 

determine whether the impacts are 

potentially significant and whether 

impacts can be avoided or mitigated. 

This project EIR/EIS will identify and 

evaluate reasonable and feasible sitespecific alignment alternatives, and 

evaluate the impacts from construction, 

operation, and maintenance of the HST 

system. Information and documents 

regarding this HST environmental 

review process will be made available 

through the Authority’s Internet site: 

http://www.cahighspeedrail.gov/. 

Purpose and Need: The purpose of the 

proposed HST system is to provide a 

new mode of high-speed intercity travel 

that would link major metropolitan 

areas of the state; interface with 

international airports, mass transit, and 

highways; and provide added capacity 

to meet increases in intercity travel 

demand in California in a manner 

sensitive to and protective of 

California’s unique natural resources. 

The need for a high-speed train (HST) 

system is directly related to the 

expected growth in population, and 

increases in intercity travel demand in 

California over the next twenty years 

and beyond. With the growth in travel 

demand, there will be an increase in 

travel delays arising from the growing 

congestion on California’s highways and 

at airports. In addition, there will be 

negative effects on the economy, quality 

of life, and air quality in and around 

California’s metropolitan areas from a 

transportation system that will become 

less reliable as travel demand increases. 

The intercity highway system, 

commercial airports, and conventional 

passenger rail serving the intercity 

travel market are currently operating at 

or near capacity, and will require large 

public investments for maintenance and 

expansion to meet existing demand and 

future growth. 

Alternatives: The San Francisco to 

San Jose HST Project EIR/EIS will 

consider a No Action or No Project 

Alternative and an HST Alternative for 

the San Francisco to San Jose corridor. 

No Action Alternative: The No Action 

Alternative (No Project or No Build) 

represents the conditions in the corridor 

as it existed in 2007, and as it would 

exist based on programmed and funded 

improvements to the intercity 

transportation system and other 

reasonably foreseeable projects through 

2035, taking into account the following 

sources of information: State 

Transportation Improvement Program 

(STIP), Regional Transportation Plans 

(RTPs) for all modes of travel, airport 

plans, intercity passenger rail plans, city 

and county plans. 

HST Alternative: The Authority 

proposes to construct, operate and 

maintain an electric-powered steelwheel-on-steel-rail HST system, about 

800 miles long, capable of operating 


dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices 79543 

speeds of 220 mph on mostly dedicated, 

fully graded-separated tracks, with stateof-the-art safety, signaling, and 

automated train control systems. The 

San Francisco to San Jose HST corridor 

selected by the Authority and FRA 

follows the Caltrain right-of-way from 

San Francisco to San Jose. The HST 

would operate in this area at speeds 

below 150 mph and would share tracks 

with Caltrain express commuter trains. 

Further engineering studies to be 

undertaken as part of this EIR/EIS 

process will examine and refine 

alignments in the Caltrain right-of-way. 

The entire alignment would be grade 

separated. The options to be considered 

for the design of grade separated 

roadway crossings would include (1) 

Depressing the street to pass under the 

rail line; (2) elevating the street to pass 

over the rail line; and (3) leaving the 

street as-is and constructing rail line 

improvements to pass over or under the 

local street. In addition, alternative sites 

for right-of-way maintenance, train 

storage facilities and a train service and 

inspection facility will be evaluated in 

the San Francisco to San Jose HST 

project area. 

The preferred station in the City of 

San Francisco is the Transbay Transit 

Center; in the City of Millbrae the 

existing Millbrae BART/Caltrain 

Station, and in the City of San Jose the 

Intermodal Diridon Station. These 

locations were selected by the Authority 

and FRA through the Bay Area to 

Central Valley HST Final Program EIR/ 

EIS considering the project purpose and 

need, and the program objectives. 

Potential station locations in the City of 

Redwood City at the existing Caltrain 

Station near downtown or in the City of 

Palo Alto at the existing Caltrain Station 

near downtown will also be evaluated 

in this project EIR/EIS. Alternative 

station sites at or near the selected 

station locations may be identified and 

evaluated in this Project EIR/EIS. 

Probable Effects: The purpose of the 

EIR/EIS process is to explore in a public 

setting the effects of the proposed 

project on the physical, human, and 

natural environment. The FRA and the 

Authority will continue the tiered 

evaluation of all significant 

environmental, social, and economic 

impacts of the construction and 

operation of the HST system. Impact 

areas to be addressed include 

transportation impacts; safety and 

security; land use and zoning; land 

acquisition, displacements, and 

relocations; cumulative and secondary 

impacts; cultural resource impacts, 

including impacts on historical and 

archaeological resources and parklands/ 

recreation areas; neighborhood 

compatibility and environmental 

justice; natural resource impacts 

including air quality, wetlands, water 

resources, noise, vibration, energy, 

wildlife and ecosystems, including 

engendered species. Measures to avoid, 

minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts 

will be identified and evaluated. 

The San Francisco to San Jose HST 

Project EIR/EIS will be prepared in 

accordance with FRA’s Procedures for 

Considering Environmental Impacts (64 

FR 28545 [May 26, 1999]) and will 

address not only NEPA and CEQA but 

will also address as necessary other 

applicable statutes, regulations, and 

executive orders, including the Clean 

Air Act, Section 404 of the Clean Water 

Act, Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966, Section 4(f) of 

the Department of Transportation Act, 

the Endangered Species Act, and 

Executive Order 12898 on 

Environmental Justice. 

This EIR/EIS process will also 

continue the NEPA/Clean Water Act 

Section 404 integration process 

established through the Statewide 

Program EIR/EIS process. The EIR/EIS 

will evaluate project alignment 

alternatives, station and maintenance 

facility locations to support a 

determination of the Least 

Environmentally Damaging Practicable 

Alternative (‘‘LEDPA’’) by the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers. 

Scoping and Comments: FRA 

encourages broad participation in the 

EIS process during scoping and review 

of the resulting environmental 

documents. Comments are invited from 

all interested agencies and the public to 

ensure the full range of issues related to 

the proposed action and reasonable 

alternatives are addressed and all 

significant issues are identified. In 

particular, FRA is interested in 

determining whether there are areas of 

environmental concern where there 

might be a potential for significant sitespecific impacts. Public agencies with 

jurisdiction are requested to advise FRA 

and the Authority of the applicable 

permit and environmental review 

requirements of each agency, and the 

scope and content of the environmental 

information that is germane to the 

agency’s statutory responsibilities in 

connection with the proposed project. 

Public agencies are requested to advise 

FRA if they anticipate taking a major 

action in connection with the proposed 

project and if they wish to cooperate in 

the preparation of the Project EIR/EIS. 

Public scoping meetings have been 

scheduled as an important component 

of the scoping process for both the State 

and Federal environmental review. The 

scoping meetings described in this 

Notice will also be the subject of 

additional public notification. 

FRA is seeking participation and 

input of all interested federal, state, and 

local agencies, Native American groups, 

and other concerned private 

organizations or individuals on the 

scope of the EIR/EIS. Implementation of 

the San Francisco to San Jose section of 

the HST system is a federal undertaking 

with the potential to affect historic 

properties. As such, it is subject to the 

requirements of section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act of 

1966 (16 U.S.C. 470f.). In accordance 

with regulations issued by the Advisory 

Council on Historic Preservation, 36 

CFR part 800, FRA intends to coordinate 

compliance with section 106 of this Act 

with the preparation of the EIR/EIS, 

beginning with the identification of 

consulting parties through the scoping 

process, in a manner consistent with the 

standards set out in 36 CFR 800.8. 

Issued in Washington, DC on December 18, 

2008. 

Mark E. Yachmetz, 

Associate Administrator for Railroad 

Development. 

[FR Doc. E8–30751 Filed 12–24–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

December 18, 2008. 

The Department of Treasury is 

planning to submit the following public 

information collection requirement(s) to 

OMB for review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Copies of the 

submission(s) may be obtained by 

calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance 

Officer listed. Comments regarding this 

information collection should be 

addressed to the reviewer listed and to 

the Treasury Department Clearance 

Officer, Department of the Treasury, 

Room 11020, 1750 Pennsylvania 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220. 

DATES: Written comments should be 

received on or before February 27, 2009 

to be assured of consideration. 

Office of Procurement 

OMB Number: 1505–0107. 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Title: Regulation Agency Protests. 

Description: The information being 

collected is obtained from contractors as 

part of their submissions whenever they 

file a bid protest with the Department or 

any of its Bureaus. The information is 

used by Treasury officials in deciding 


dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES